Zhao Longfei was extremely frustrated.
He spoke in a low, dejected tone: "West Glory has mineral resources, East Glory has funding, Central Glory has strength—our South Glory has none of those. The remaining conditions are about the same as the other three universities."
"Anyway... that's just how it is."
Yan Moshui shook his head, "Principal Zhao, why bother?"
Liu Yingrong said, "Principal Zhao, if I were you, I'd leave with some dignity like the other principals, instead of even opening my mouth."
"Why are you in such a hurry? Qin Siyang and Li Tianming haven't even said they're unwilling yet."
"We're all reputable figures here. Who would outright shut the door on you?"
Zhao Longfei snorted, "And what are you being so cocky about with your 338 points?"
At first, everyone didn't react, but then they suddenly realized something.
Liu Yingrong's face instantly turned red, "I was the one who discovered the Ghost Turtle first. But you and that old thief Han snatched it. Otherwise, how could I have only gotten 338 points?"
Zhao Longfei gestured for Liu Yingrong to calm down, "Relax, relax. Even if I let you have a damn turtle, my score is still way higher than yours."
Han Shuo spoke in an indifferent tone, "Principal Liu, that's not a fair statement. You set out first, so how can you say we snatched it from you?"
Liu Yingrong clenched her fists, her delicate eyebrows raised in fury, looking as if she wanted to kill Zhao Longfei.
Zhao Longfei calmly said, "By your logic, we're all dignified people here. Since we went outside the safe zone for some exercise, whoever scores higher has more say, right?"
"The only one with a higher score than me is Xu Wenju from East Pillar. If he were here persuading me to leave, I'd listen. But if you guys want me gone? You're not quite there yet."
Qin Siyang finally understood—Zhao Longfei's mention of Liu Yingrong's "338 points" referred to this round of God Hunting results.
So Zhao Longfei ranked second among all the elites?
That meant he was really strong.
As for Liu Yingrong's 338 points, Qin Siyang was a bit puzzled.
He frowned, thought for a moment, and asked, "Excuse me, Principal Liu's 338 points—what's the unit? Does one point represent ten God Hunting points, or a hundred?"
No matter how he thought about it, a principal of Liu Yingrong's caliber shouldn't have only earned 338 God Hunting points.
So Qin Siyang wanted to understand the gap between himself and these top-tier powerhouses.
As soon as he asked his question—
The conference room fell silent.
Liu Yingrong stopped being angry and lowered her head, fiddling with her fingernails.
The others pretended not to hear, some staring blankly at the ceiling, others engrossed in their school brochures.
Even Zhao Longfei, who had just been so arrogant, casually pulled out his phone and started replying to messages.
Qin Siyang scratched his head.
'They have been chatting just fine—why have everyone suddenly gone quiet?'
'Liu Yingrong's 338 points... is exactly that.'
Even with the personal God Hunting points multiplier included.
With her personality, if anyone here spoke that harsh truth out loud, there would be a fight to the death.
Besides, what was the point of saying it?
The highest scorer here, Zhao Longfei, had barely over 1,300 points.
Not even as high as Qin Siyang's first-time rookie score.
If that got out, they really wouldn't be able to hold their heads up in the safe zone.
To break the awkward silence, Chu Zhongxiong spoke up, "We've already made our offers. Qin and Professor Li, which side do you prefer?"
Zhao Longfei, however, tapped the table, "Dean Chu, that's not how negotiations work."
Chu Zhongxiong, already annoyed by Zhao Longfei's antics, asked impatiently, "Principal Zhao, what do you mean now?"
"782 points—you should sit and listen when I speak. Show some respect."
Chu Zhongxiong took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation, "Fine, Principal Zhao, speak. I'm listening."
"Negotiations should be a two-way street. We've made our offers, but Qin Siyang and Li Tianming haven't spoken yet. Shouldn't we hear their demands? If we just throw out our price and call it done, why should I even stay? Might as well just leave now."
Chu Zhongxiong frowned, "So, Principal Zhao, despite your weak offer, you're staying just to hear their demands?"
"Of course. If I can't meet their demands, I'll leave without a word."
Chu Zhongxiong chuckled, "Fine, then just wait. I'm curious to see what kind of demand could turn your losing position around."
Zhao Longfei nodded toward Qin Siyang, "Kid, you seem like an interesting guy. You must have some ideas. Go ahead—state your demands."
Qin Siyang stood up first, bowed to everyone, and said: "Since Principal Zhao has asked, I'll present my humble request before my seniors."
"First, I want to clarify how the Vine Core will be allocated."
"The Vine Core will be split into four parts. One-fourth will go to the organization that special-recruits me, one-fourth to Professor Li Tianming's team, one-fourth to other institutions, and the final one-fourth will remain with me for future use."
Chu Zhongxiong frowned,."What? You're saying the Vine Core isn't going to be handed over entirely?"
Qin Siyang smiled politely, "Of course not. After all, the offers on the table don't seem sufficient to purchase an entire Vine Core."
"If these offers were meant to take the whole thing, I'd be at a huge loss."
Wang Bozhong said, "But Qin, do you have any other options?"
Sure, the offers weren't great, but they were better than nothing.
Besides, everyone assumed Qin Siyang wasn't important in this deal.
Like a side dish at New Year's Eve dinner, whether it was there or not, the feast would go on.
These seasoned veterans had deliberately kept their offers modest, planning to take advantage of his inexperience and quietly pocket an entire Vine Core.
But Qin Siyang was never someone to be manipulated, "Of course, I do."
Qin Siyang calmly replied, "I can refuse the special recruitment, wait for the national exams, and enter a university or research institute through standard assessment. That way, I retain full control over the Vine Core, don't I?"
The room went silent again.
'What does he mean?'
'Is this kid flipping the table?'
'But... Isn't he the one who organized this banquet in the first place?'
'Flipping his own table?'
Han Shuo looked at Li Tianming, "Professor Li, what do you say?"
Everyone turned to Li Tianming, hoping the only rational adult would rein Qin Siyang in.
Li Tianming chuckled, "I already said—I'm only recruiting him under a special admission. As for where he chooses to go, that's entirely his decision."
Then he shrugged, "Besides, he's already promised me a quarter of the Vine Core. At this point, I have no reason not to support him."
Li Tianming's stance caught everyone off guard.
They glanced at each other in disbelief.
They had assumed Qin Siyang was just Li Tianming's puppet.
But now, they realized—it was an equal partnership.
None of them could make sense of this situation anymore.
Except for Zhao Longfei, whose eyes gleamed as the corners of his lips curled up.
Fate favors those who wait.
It seemed… an opportunity was coming.
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